Apple recently announced that it will be rejecting any app that integrates the donation services from the social micro-payment company, Flattr. According to the Cupertino California company, the donation services violates the App Store terms and conditions regarding third-party payments.

The problems first began in early May when Apple rejected an update for the popular podcast manager Instacast, after citing the app’s new integration with Flattr, which allowed users to donate money with the click of a button. Flattr is designed to allow in-app monetary support for content creators who would go unfunded otherwise. Examples of content creators who utilize services such as Flattr include podcasters and video makers. In the system, users allocate a specified amount of money to a pool at the beginning of each month and when they see a Flattr button on any site or app, they can click to donate. Flattr then keeps count of the number of clicks at the end of the month and distributes the pooled money evenly.

It’s likely that Apple is just taking precaution and protecting themselves from possible lawsuits, such as the lawsuits seen last year regarding children purchasing in-app game currency without parents’ knowledge. Another likely reason for the rejection of Flattr integration is that the service competes directly with Apple’s own in-app payment system, which currently nets the company 30% of each transaction made. As of right now, Flatter said that the current ruling “is not the end,” noting that Vemedio will continue talks with Apple alongside Flattr’s own efforts to test new in-app integrations.

I think apple is 100% in the right because this would open a "child donated $100 through Flattr", but on the other side I do think apple should work out a way to allow flattr into apps because programming teams work extreamly hard in their products and a .66 cent profit per buy is not always a lot.

It seems reasonable that Apple would disallow this. No one likes surprises at the end of the month when their kid presses stuff they shouldn't. That reason alone justifies Apple's actions. The 30% rule should apply to all apps, indiscriminately. Them's the rules that everyone must play by.

I think apple is 100% in the right because this would open a "child donated $100 through Flattr"

One small problem though. It's not Apple that would be liable, since Flattr is a separate entity, so if anything, Flattr would (or should) be the target of any suit that could come up. To contrast, Apple's in-app purchase system is, well, Apple's, and hence why they were the target of that suit.